Dota 2 Map Interoperability

When making code to work with maps, it's often helpful to have map-specific data instead of trying to calculate "good" positions on a per-map basis. By adhering to these standards, you open up your map for usage on many more game modes, or allow your game mode to work out of the box with a lot of polished community maps.

This is a work in progress; if you have a suggestion please come discuss it on irc.gamesurge.net/#dota2mods, or open a thread on the talk page.

AI Hints

Entities used by user-made AIs; these give hints to allow them to know what areas are strategically valuable, among other things.

Class

Name

Notes

info_target

ai_bottleneck

This node lets the AI know that there's a significant bottleneck here; examples of use for this are for setting up for teamfights and warding properly

info_target

obs_ward_hint

This node tells the AI that this is a good place to put an observer ward, or conversely is a place that should be checked when dewarding

info_target

juke_location

This node tells the AI that a location is abruptly out of vision for fog of war; these can be generally placed in woods and such.

Game Logic Hints

Entities used by user-made game modes; these give the game mode information about your map so that the map can work better with varied modes. Note that these are generally logic_relays; this is to allow addons to communicate to the map that a certain point is being used, allowing the map to adapt dynamically to the game mode.

Class

Name

Notes

logic_relay

base_goodguys

Denotes an approachable position that is associated with the Radiant team. This is the place where CTF maps can put flag bases, for example; as such, it should be somewhat defended, but not so much that it's inaccessible for the other team.

logic_relay

base_badguys

Denotes an approachable position that is associated with the Dire team. This is the place where CTF maps can put flag bases, for example; as such, it should be somewhat defended, but not so much that it's inaccessible for the other team.

logic_relay

spawn_ffa

Denotes a location in which a player can spawn in a free-for-all game mode. These are helpful to avoid both spawn camping, as well as the problems with random spawning (such as being stuck in trees/on cliffs)

logic_relay

koth_marker

Denotes a location in a position relatively equally accessible to both teams; this is used for king of the hill, and single-flag CTF.